Safety razor



Oct. 6, 1953 B, BOWEN TAL 2,654,149

SAFETY RAZOR Filed sept. 15,1949 4 sheets-sheet 1 Gc. E953 B. BOWEN ET AL 2,654,149

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Sept. 15, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 oct. e, 1953 BOWEN UAL 2,654,149

` SAFETY RAZOR Filed sept. 15, 1949 4 sheets-sneer :s

B. BOWEN ET AL Oct. 6, 1953 SAFETY RAZOR 4 sheets-sheet 4 Filed Sept. l5, 1949 VE/v T055.

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Patented Oct. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Application September 15, 1949, Serial No. 115,932

13 Claims.

This invention comprises a new and improved safety razor and new and improved magazine for safety razor blades. It also includes within its scope a novel razor and magazine combination.

The safety razor is organized as a permanent assembly having no loo-se or separable parts and at the same time is constructed and arranged so that a fresh sharp blade may be easily and rapidly presented thereto directly by the user or with the assistance of a magazine without danger either of impairing the keen edge of the blade by accidental contact with any part of the razor or of cutting the users ngers.

To this end an important feature comprises a reslent blade-supporting or guard member having projections or contact points that tend always to engage and locate the blade by spring action but are capable of being expanded or separated to receive a fresh blade or to release a used blade.

Another feature of the invention consists in the combination with an expansible blade-supporting member of a rocking connecting element of novel construction which, while continuously engaging the cap member of the razor at the same time permits the free passage of a slotted blade between the cap and the blade-supporting members of the razor.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the razor in perspective and on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding view in longitudinal section; v

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the razor showing th cap removed;

Fig. 4 is a view of the razor in cross section;

Fig. 5 is a view'in perspective showing the parts of the razor in explodedV relation;

Fig. 6 is a View of the razor in perspective as seen from beneath, showing portions of the handle broken away.

Fig. '7 is a View in perspective of the magazine.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the magazine on the line 8 8 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a view in longitudinal section.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the magazine with its cover portion removed, and

Fig. 1l is a view in perspective showing they parts of the magazine in exploded relation.

The handle of the razor comprises an outer tubular portion I0 fluted and lmurled for ornamental iinish and merging at its upper end into presently explained.

' member.

member 2D are shaped to form an elongated innerY an integral forked bracket II. The blade supporting or guard member is seated in the bracket I I and comprises a sheet of resilient metal folded to form a downwardly-projecting U-shaped rib I2 and this rib is cut out centrally to provide an opening I3 with downwardly-tapering edges,'as

best shown in Fig. 5. 'I'he side walls of the U` shaped rib I2 merge at their upper edges into at, longitudinally slotted side sections IlfIY that lie substantially in a commonplane. These are provided at their respective outer edges with in-v cal bosses II which, as shown in Fig. 4, support Y the opposite edge portions of the blade with clearance above the'surface of the'anges I5 and in a plane between the lugs I6. The outer folded edge of the flanges I5 constitute the lower guard members of the razor. The flanges are biased inwardly by the resilient loop of the rib I2 to an initial position in which the lugs I6 bear rmly;

upon the ends of an interposed blade, as will be The blade-supporting 'member above described is held in place by a T-shaped connecting member 20 formed of two sheet metal 'side pieces held together in vertical position by screws as shown in Fig. 5. structure a cross-piece which lies in the fold of ing stem 2| which is shaped to pass downwardly into the bracket I I and into the upper end of the f tubular portion I0 of the handle and is provided with a threaded bore in its lower end. Inithis ts the upper end of a threaded pin 22 having a square head on its lower end which'ts in a correspondingsocket in the upperend of a second pin 23 having a screw driver slotV in its lower end and fitting rotatably into the lower end of the handle I0. Accordingly-.by turning the pin 23 in the proper direction the stem ZI andthe connecting member as a whole may be drawn downwardly and into clamping engagementwith the inside of the rib I2 of the blade supporting The two side pieces of the connecting chamber 24 and externally to fit the downwardlyV tapering edges of the opening I3 in the U-shaped rib I2. The walls of the chamber 24 project :out

through the opening I3 while the solid end por- This member includes in its.

porting member to the handle but serves as a' carrier for the disk 21. This disk 21 provides a permanent rotary connection with the cap of the razor. To that end, it'is. provided with' a peripheral flange 29 dened in partby undercutV ways. circumference of the disk about 120 degrees apart, and in the periphery between these two recesses is formed a flat 3|. the chamber 24 is provided a bowed spring 32 which yieldingly retards rotation or oscillation A pair of recesses 3U are formed in the endwse in the razor in such fashion as to engage the two opposed inner edges of the inturned flanges i of the blade-supporting member. rThe resilient U-shaped rib l2 readily permits the two side portions i4 of this member to be expanded or separated, thereby releasing the blade from the lugs l and permitting itv to rest freely upon the bosses` l1 where it is free for longitudinal movement. In the outward movement of the blade, the solid end portion 42 will pass into one of the recesses 35 of the disk 21 and in its continuedoutward movement the disk will be rocked 120 degrees to the releasing position shown in Fig. 5. The disk is centered in this position by f action of the spring 32 upon its iiat side 3l. The blade then may be removed fully from the razor by the user leaving the disk 21 in position for the In the bottom of 3 for the purpose of masking the opening of the' U-shaped rib i2 beyond' the ends of the retaining member 26..

The cap 3G corresponds in contour to the contour of the blade-supporting member and is provided with a series of transverse corrugations 31. for stiffness and for ornamental purposes. provided at one end with a pair of hooked corner lugs 38 which extend downwardly and engage` with clearance beneath the corners of the bladesupporting member outside its blade-engaging lugs I6. The cap 36 is also. provided with a central longitudinal fianged slot 39 enlarged slightly at its ends and: shaped to receive theA flange 29 of the rotary disk 2-1. This connectionpermits the disk 21 to be rocked through an anglev of 120 degrees to bring one or other of the` notches 30 into blade-receiving position and to permit passage of the solid end of a blade through the razor between the cap and guard members thereof with the rocking of the disk, all without` disengaging the cap. When the disk is rocked,

connection with the cap is continuously maintained, but the actual point of connection shiftsv along thev circumferential flange 29 of the disk 1 to that point Ywhich happens to be uppermost and in engagement with the flanged edges of the slot 38. The marginal edges of the capconstitute the upperv edge guarding elements of the assembled razor.

The razor herein described is designed. to receive a double-edged longitudinally slotted blade 4t of well-known commercial type, that is to say a blade such. as that shown in Figs. 3 and 5 having a longitudinal slot 4t provided with enlarged portions of various shapes and having corner notches which denne elongated unsharpened end'v portions 42.

The razor is represented in Fig. 3 with a blade 4l? which is engaged` and held rmly at its corners in shaving position by the corner lugs i6 or the made-supporting member. The blade at the same time receives the ribs 25 and 2G of the retaining member with` clearance in itsy longitudinal slot. 4l.. When now it is desired to release the blade 4G for removal the key of a magazine or other tapering blade may be inserted.

as provided.

reception of a new blader When a new blade is presented, its solid end portion will pass the rib 25 enter the recess 3B of the rotary disk, positioned as shown in Fig. 5, and rock the disk 21 tothe position shown in Fig; 2. Finally, the blade is arrested when fully inserted by the engagement of the corner notches in its advancing end with the lugs 38: as indicated in Fig. 3. The key or spreader may now be withdrawn and the side;

portions ot the blade clamping member at once contract, bringing the blade-locating lugs i6 into rm engagement with the. corners. of the blade. It will be understood that a slotted blade may be presented by hand to the safety razor thus far described. t is usually desirable, however, to supply blades to the razor Vfrom. a magazine without necessitating the user to handle the blades. A novel magazine suitable for that purpose and alsol for the purpose of receiving used blades is shown in Figs. -lO and will now be described.

The illustrated magazine comprises an innerY box or tray member having a bottom 5&1, side walls 5l and 52 and overhanging top iianges 53 and 5 which are spaced substantially from each` other in position to overlie both edges of a blade stack in the magazine. Two overhanging tongues and 56 mayv be struck upwardly from. the bottom of the magasine for the purpose of acting as retainers for a spider in which is incorporated a blade-locating rib disposed symmetrically in the longitudinal axis of the magazine. This spider, as best shown in Figure ll, is formed of resilient sheet metal andY includes a pair of bridge sections 51 which rise in opposite directions from an intermediate rectangular pad 58. Smaller pads are formed at the outer ends of the. bridge sections and from these extend upright posts 59. In placing this spider in the tray member of the magazine, its two end padsvare caught beneath the tongues 54 and 55, while the center pad 58 is secured inplace by a screw passing through the bottom of the magazine as shown in Fig. 9.

The bridge sections 5.1 are thus located so that they' extend slightly above the plane of the inner Jaces of the iianges 53 and 54 but are free to be resiliently depressed. Clearance for such depressing movement is provided by the space beneath the tonguesl 54-55. The width of the bridge sections s such as to permit them to extend freely into the blade slots @I and the posts 59 similarly extend into. the transverse enlargements at the ends of the blade slots. The blades are thus accurately held in vertical stack formation with the uppermost blade pressed yieldingly into contact with the flanges 53 and 54. The outer ends of the bridge sectionsl are beveled in both directions so that the sections may be temporarily depressed by cam action of the feed slide in pass-- ing over them.

In loading the magazine, a rectangular slotted pressure plate 43 is first placed in the tray member upon the spider and then a stack of or 20 slotted blades is placed above the plate. Subsequently, a forked spring 63 is slipped inwardly beneath the piate 43 with its concave portion against the bottom ill and its bowed ends against the plate 43. The blade stack is thus resiliently lifted in the manner already explained. The plate A3 is slightly wider than the blades resting upon it and consequently tends to guard their edges from any possible contact with the spring 63 The tray member is provided with a front wall 68 from which projects a forked key or pilot spreader 6l disposed in the plane at a slight downward inclination to the main axis of the magazine as a whole. A pair of rectangular bosses 62 project externally from each side wall 5I and 52 of the tray member. These bosses serve to guide the tray into its enclosing casing, as will bepresently described. The two side Walls are beveled upwardly and rearwardly at their rear ends, with the result that the bottom 50 and the tray member extending between them is substantially shorter than the ribs 53 and 54 Which constitute the top of the tray.

A feed slide 64 is arranged to slide freely upon the anges 53 and is provided with oppositelyextending fingerpieces S5 which are undercut to fit the flanges 53 and 54. In the body of the feed slide is cut a pair of feed dogs 6B. These are depressed so that their forward edges project below the under surface of the feed slide by approximately the thickness of a single blade. The feed slide is provided with a forwardlyextending pilot 67 from which arises a hook 68 having a curved and sloping front edge and being undercut in its vertical rear edge to form a bladeengaging hook which, as will Vbe presently eX- plained, is used to retract used blades, one by one, from the razor. In the body of thefeed slide, directly behind the hook 68, is formed a depressed portion 69 in the forward edge of the slide. This depressed portion provides a cam surface which serves to depress the yielding bridge sectionsl 51 when the feed slide passes over them.

The tray member above described is enclosed in a casing lll which preferably is molded of plastic resinous material. The casing has integral top, bottom and'rear walls. It has also side walls from which inwardly project ribs forming guideways l5 for the reception of the rectangular l lugs 62 of the tray. 'I'he side walls are also provided with longitudinal slots 76 through which project the ngerpieces B5 of the feed slide. The

front end of the casing 'M is open and the lower portion thereof is lled by the front Wall '68 of the tray.

The upper portion of the easing is converted into a used-blade receptacle by means of a spring member having a flat top 8b terminating at its forward end in a downturned front wall 8l and its rear end in a forked forwardly-extending spring 82. The fiat top 8d of this member ts against the inner surface of the top of the casing lil while its downturned front wall El partially lls the opening in the front of the casing. The top of the casing is provided with an internal lug ll which is seated between the forks vof the spring 82 and so locates the spring within the casing. The spring is further secured at its forward end by a screw passing through the top of 6 the casing into it. The forked portion 82 of the spring is upwardly convex and rests with the forward end of one fork upon each of the anges 53 and 54 of the tray, as shown in Fig. 8. It thus serves to deflect a used blade introduced beneath the wall 8l, upwardly toward the flat top 80 of the spring at the roof of the casing where the blade will not interfere with the feed slide movement. As used blades accumulate, they are confined between the portions 80 and 82 of the spring.

After the loaded tray and the spring member Sil-82 have been assembled within the outer casing 74, the tray is fastened in place by a screw inserted through the bottom of the casing and threaded into the center pad 58 of the spider, though any other fastening means may be utilized if preferred.

The exit or discharge opening of the magazine is formed between the lower edge of the wall 8|, supplied by the spring member, and the inner end of the key 6l which is rolled over the upper edge of the front wall 6U of the tray. Ihe rolled edge of the key is provided with a central clearance slot for the depressed lug 69 of the feed slide.

The operation of Ithe razor and magazine will now be described. The razor may reach the hands of the user containing a fresh blade or in empty condition. In either case, one of the notches 30 of the connecting disk 21 will face the blade-receiving end of the razor and be in position to receive lthe solid end 'of a fresh blade. Normally, the blade-supporting member or'guard is in its contracted condition with the corners of a blade gripped between the lugs I6 and bowed upwardly and pressed against the cap 3l. Its edges then occupy shaving position between the edges of the cap and Iof the blade-supporting member and present the proper blade exposure for shaving. When it is desired to remove theV used blade or to insert a fresh blade or to carry out both functions, the forked pilot 6I `of the 'magazine is forced into the passage provided oe- Itween the expansible side portions ofthe blade'- supporting member, as indicated in Fig. 4 where the pilot 6I is shown in dotted lines. This exw pands the side portions of the blade-supporting member by wedging action, withdrawing the corner lugs I6 from contact with the blade and permitting the blade to rest in at position upon the ribs -26. The cap is thus relieved of K pressure and there is thus provided sumcient lost motion in its connection with the guard member to permit the cap to rock suiiciently to admit the end of a fresh blade when presented beneath it. The feed slide 64 is then advanced inthe magazine. The feed dogs 65 pick up the uppermost blade 40 in the stack and .advance it in a path determined by the flanges 53 and 54 of the maga# zine7 that is to say, apath inclined'slightly upwardly with respect to the pilot El, which is received in substantially horizontal position in the razor. The advancing blade passes beneath the used blade, its solid .end enters one of the notches of the connecting disk, the disk rocks with 'the blade, and the blade is advanced longitudinally,

under the solid end of the used Yblade and into the slot of the blade, so that its rearwardly-ex`V` Y tending hook now engages the rearl solid end of the blade. The feedslide is then retracted, drawing' the used blade with it back into the magazine. The rearwardly moving end of the used blade encounters the ends of thespring 32 which are resting upon the iianges 53 and 54 and the blade is deilected upwardly by them so that the blade passes inwardly above the forked spring 82. The spring itself is temporarily flattened since the blade is still engaged by theA hook 68 of the feed slide.

In the ensuing forward movement of the feed slide, the used blade is disengaged and moved by the spring 32 upwardly toward or against the flat .topf 89 of the spring which forms the ceiling of the used blade compartment. The pilot of the magazine is now removed from the razor and the fresh blade which has been deposited therein is automatically engaged and accurately positioned by the contracting action of the side portions of the razor.

Having thus disclosed our invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters' Patent:

1. A safety razor having a blade-supporting member consisting of twoy similar sections lying in a common plane, blade-locating lugs at the outer corners of said sections, a resilient U- shaped rib connecting said sections and permitting them to be forcibly spread from an initial contracted condition into a spaced blade-releasing condition, the U-sh-aped rib acting to limit the contracting movement of the sections of the blade-supporting member. l

2. A safety razor having a blade-supporting member of resilient sheet metal bent to provide in an integral structure elongated side sections having a connecting' rib and inturned marginal ilangcs for supporting a blade, and corner lugsv projecting above-v the level of the flanges in position to engage the corners of a blade resting on the flanges, and a series of spaced bosses on the ilanges supporting a blade out of continuous contact with said flanges.

3. A safety razor comprising cooperating bladeengaging members, one having tivo side portions separated by a U-shaped resilient rib with an opening therein, a handle, a T-shaped member extending from the handle into said blade-engaging member, lling the opening in said rib and provided with an internal chamber, and a rocking disk mounted in said chamber and having connection with the second of said blade-engaging members.

4. A safety razor comprising a'blade-supporting member having a longitudinal median channel with an opening therein, a handle, and a T- shaped connecting membe lying with its head in said channel and its shank in said handle after passing through the opening into said channel.

5. A safety razor comprising cooperating bladeclamping members having between them a connecting rocking disk `adapted to be displaced by a slotted blade in passing endwise into posi-tion between them, said disk having circumferentially-spaced recesses for accommodating the solid end 4of the blade in its said passage when the disk is rocked from either oi two different initial positions.

6. A safety-razor comprising coopera-tuig bladeclamping members having between them a connecting element in the form of Va rocking with a circumferential flange and spaced recesses extending through said nange and into the body of the disk, each of' said recesses being of sul- 8 cient size to accommodate the solid end of a slotted blade when advanced between the bladeclamping members, thereby permitting a fresh blade to be inserted in the razor either when empty or when it holds a used blade.

'7. A safety razor comprising a blade-supporting member having resiliently expansible side portions, a cooperating cap, and a rotary disk connecting the blade-supporting member to the cap and having spaced blade-receiving notches in its circumference, the disk permitting the cap to rock in receiving a slotted blade, and the expansible side portions acting to bow the blade trans-- versely towards the cap when in their normal operating position.

8. A safety razor comprising a contractible and eXpans-ible blade-supporting member having upstandi-ng corner lugs and a central depending ribr and a cooperating cap connected to said bladesupporting member, the blade-supporting member serving to support a slotted blade in flat condition thereon when the blade-supporting member is expanded and to bow the blade upwardly by engagement of the lugs at its corners when the blade-supporting member is contracted.

9. A safety razor comprising a guard having blade-supporting portions, a cap" having lost-motion connections with the guard, said guard having normally contracted blade-engaging means for bowing a blade transversely and thereby holding the cap in the position taking up the lost motion in its connections withthe guard.

10. A safety razor comprising' a contractible guard having' blade-supporting areas, and a cap loosely connected to the guard for rocking about a transverse axis, said guard hav'mg laterally spaced blade-engaging projections for bowing an interposed blade transversely and thereby holding the cap against rocking motion.

11. A safety razor having cooperating cap and guard members, a rocking connector having spaced radial notches therein adapted to receive one end of a slotted blade, and spring means tendingA to hold the connector with one notch or the other in a predetermined blade-receiving position.

i2. A. safety razor having a blade-supporting member and a cooperating cap, a rotary connecting disk mounted in the blade-supporting member and having in its circumference spaced notches to receive the solid end of a slotted blade introduced beneath the cap, and spring meansl yieldingly holding the disk4 with said notches in predetermined radial positions.

13. A safety razor having a blade-supporting member and a cooperating cap, a handle fast to the blade-supporting member, an inner carrier movably retained in said blade-supporting member, a rotary connecting disk mounted in the carrier and engaged at its circumference with the cap, and means in the handle for securing the carrier in the blade-supporting member while connection with the capl is maintained.

BILLI BOWEN. CHARLES L. METZLER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 933,168 Faas Sept. 7, 1909 1,051,389 Cole Jan. 2S, 1913 1,998,200 McDo-Well Apr. 16, 1935 2,030,766 Schlattau Feb. 11, 1936 2,316,600 Kuhnl et al Apr. 13, 1943 2,327,388' Auerbach Aug. 24, 1943 

